Rail-joint



No. 622,033. Patented Mar. 28, |899. J. BAKER.

RAIL JOINT.

(Application led Dec. 24, 1898.)

(Nq Model.)

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JOHN BAKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMASROBERTSON, OF BLUE ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Iietters Patent No. 622,033, dated March28, 1899.

Application Sled December 24, 1898. Serial No. 700,229. (No model.)

T0 (all 11171/0771/ t muy concern:

Be it known that I, JOI-IN BAKER, residing at Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to rail-joints; and its object is to provide anovel and efficient joint in order to overcome the objections to theordinary joint, in which the car-wl1eels bear upon and are carried bythe rails at the joint proper at the meeting ends of the rails, whichjoint receives the entire pressure or weight.

My object is to produce a joint device in which the car-wheels aredesigned to bear upon a block or connecting-piece at the ends of therails, so that a smooth and continuous surface is always provided forthe Wheels, as if the track were made of one continuous rail.

The novelty and advantage of my const-ruction of joint will beunderstood from the description hereinafter given. l

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan of my joint; Fig. 2, a sideelevation of the inner face of the joint; Fig. 3, a side elevation ofthe outer face of the joint; and Figs. 4 and 5, sections taken on thelines 4 and 5, respectively, of Figs. 1 and 2, respectively.

Instead of the usual straight-ended rails I employ rails l and 2, whichhave been preliminarily curved outwardly Vor offset, as shown clearly inFig. 1. Upon the outer face of the railsis arranged an angle-bar 3,corresponding in shape to the curvature of the rails at their meetingends and having tapered ends to accommodate the wheels in case they aredouble-anged. This bar may be provided with a base portion orA plate 4to rest upon the ties 5, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5, and to forni a seator chair for the rails. It is obvious, however, that such base portionmay be omitted and the rails allowed to rest directly upon the ties.

The outward curvature of the rails, as described, forms a spaceorconcavity which is lled by an inner or second angle bar or block 6,which tapers in thickness from the center to the ends and whose edge '7forms a continuation of the straight or main portion of the rails on theinner or wheel-nan ge side thereof.

As seen in Fig. 4, the bar or block G is provided with a lower angularportion S, which may rest'at its lower end upon the base-plate 4, ifsuch a plate is used.- This block also rests along its entire lengthupon the base of the rails, so that the block will not only carry theWheels, but will prevent the dropping of the joint, so that a wide-treadwheel will run smoothly over the block and also the joint. In order tosecure the parts together, I employ any suitable number of bolts 9,passing transversely through the rails and the anglebars.

The ends of the rails lie inthe same plane or line and may therefore beconsidered as meeting or abutting each other, although, of course, theusual space may be left between such ends. The term meet is thereforeused in the claims with such understanding.

As is shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 5, the bar G is inclined gently from itscenter toward the ends l0, which are slightly below the top plane ortread-face of the rail, the central portion being slightly thereabove,as seen in Fig. 5. The obj ect of this construction is to avoid anyjoint between the rail and inner bar andA allow the wheels to take thebar easily when they run from the rail proper upon the bar.

Immediately beyond thepoint ot' the first curvature of the rail thewheels will bear upon the block 6 and will be carried by such block tothe next rail. My device thus forms practically a continuous rail, andthere is not the usual joint on which the wheels bear, inasmuch as thewheels are carried by the block at the meeting ends of the rails. Theserails may be curved or oifset to any extent and the block may beproportioned accordingly, so as to form a continuous lineal edge withthe main parts of 'the rails. It is obvious that my joint may be used ona curve as well as upon a straight track, and in both instances thegeneral construction and principle will be the same. In both instancesthe bar or block 6 will form a continuation of the main portions of therails whether the same are curved or straight; but in the formerinstance it is obvious that it will be necessary to slightly curve thewheel-flange side 7 of the block 6, so as to complete the curvature ofthe track.

It will be understood that when the base- IOO plate 4 is used the entirejoint may be spiked to the ties by means of the ordinary spikes 11,whose heads are driven against the bar 3, and that when such plate isnot used the heads of the spikes will be driven against the base of therails in the usual and well-known manner. My joint has a considerableextent of bearing upon the ties or support, which is a construction ofadvantage to prevent spreading or displacelnent, either on a straight orcurved track, caused by the pressure of the wheel-flange on the rail.

Although I have described more or less precise forms and details ofconstruction, I do not intend to be understood as limiting myselfthereto, as I contemplate changes in form, the proportion of parts, andthe substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or renderexpedient and without depart-ing from the spirit of my invention.

I claiml. A rail-joint comprising two rails whose ends meet and areoutwardly curved and a bar or block filling the recess or eoneavityformed by said curvature.

2. A rail-joint comprising two rails whose ends meet and are similarlyoutwardly curved and a bar or blocl; filling the recess or concavityformed by said curvature and having its face on the inner side of thetrack corresponding in direction with the portions of the rails beyondtheir outward curvature to form a continuous rail and having its otherside corresponding to the curvature of the two rails and means forsecuring said block in place.

3. A rail-joint comprising two rails whose meeting ends are outwardlycurved, a har or block filling the recess or concavity formed by saidcurvature, and a second bar arranged upon the outside of the meetingends of said rails and curved t-o correspond with said eurvature of therails and means f'or holdin g said parts together.

4. A rail-joint comprising two rails whose meeting ends are outwardlycurved and a bar or block filling the recess or eoneavity formed by saidcurvature, said block being at its eenter slightly above the top planeof the rails and inclining gently toward each end which is slightlybelow said plane.

5. The combination of two rails having meeting or abutting endssimilarly curved and a baror block arranged adjacent to said meetingends and forming a continuation of the main part of the rails on thewheel-flange side thereof.

6. A rail-joint comprising two rails whose ends meet and are outwardlycurved, a bar or block filling the coneavity formed by said eu rvatureand forming a continuous rail in connection with the portions of saidrails beyond their said ends, and a second bar or'bloek arranged on theoutside of the said curved ends of the rails and having a hase-plate onwhich said rails rest.

7. Arail-joint comprising two rails l and 2 whose meeting ends areoutwardly curved, a block G filling the concavity formed by saidcurvature and having its central portion slightly above the top plane ofthe rails and sloping gently to the ends 10 which are slightly belowsaid plane and a bar 3 arranged outside said curved ends.

JOHN BAKER.

Vitnesses:

THos. ROBERTSON, SAMUEL E. IIIBBEN.

